Thimble for rope slings



w. c. RUSSELL THIMBLE FOR ROPE SLINGS Nov. 30, 1937.

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Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITE STATES y itesm .'.IHIMBLE FOR ROPE SLINGS William C. Russell,

Kenosha, Wis., assigner to' Macwhyte Company, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October '7, 1935, Serial No. 43,847

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a thimble and to the combination of a thimble with a rope.

In one form the invention comprises a thimble and a rope shaped in an eye about the thimble. The rope may be shaped and fastened into the form of an eye in any desired manner.

An object of the invention is to provide a thimble which may be readily combined with a rope and securely fastened'to necessity of heating. n

Heretofore thimbles have been formed and Wire Arope eyes have been formed about them. Thereafter, in order to secure the thimble to the eye or to the rope, it has been necessary to weld, braze or forge the thimble in some lmanner by the application of heat. While this is effective in forming the thimble or in shaping or reforming it to engage the rope, the use of heat in this connection is damaging to the wire rope. Wire ropes are always made of properly tempered material and the use of heat in shaping and attaching the thimble destroys or reduces the temper of the rope. It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a thimble and to combine that thimble with a rope in such manner that heat is unnecessary so that an adequate attachment of the thimble to the rope is accomplished.

While reference is made herein to the combination of thethimble with a rope, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form of rope and the thimble may be combined with a rope, with the eye of a rope, with a loop or sling, and it is therefore an object of theinvention to provide a thimble and to combine that thimble with some form of rope in such manner that the final positive attachment of the two together can be accomplished without heating the thimble.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims.

The invention is more or less diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is an elevation with parts broken away and parts in section, showing one form of the thimble;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken at line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional detail taken on an enlarged scale at line 3 3 of Figure 1, showing the attaching lugs in extended position;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the completed article including the lug and the rope with the lugs moved into engaging position;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken at line a rope eye Without the engaging the rope; Y

Figure 6 is an elevation generally similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form in which the thimble is open; v Y.

Figure l is an elevation of Figure 6;

Figure 8 illustrates a somewhat modified form of thimble;

Figure 9 is a transverse at line 9--9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a section ure 3 but showing a modified form of groove;V

Figure 11 is a section showing the form of Figure 10 after it has been bentto engage a rope;

Figure l2 is a sectionl generally` similar to Figure 5, showing a multiple part rope in position.

Like Yparts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

In the forms shown in the first ve gures, E designates generally the body of the thimble. The thimble is provided with flanges 2 and at suitable points, preferably adjacent its top and bottom, it is further provided with lugs 3 which extend outwardly beyond the.anges.- The bottom of the thimble is closedat 4 and may be sectional :detail taken provided with a reduced, inwardly extending portion 5. o f

is a rope positioned about the thimble and in the finished article the lugs 3 are bent as shown in Figures 4 and 5 about the rope to engage and hold it permanently to the thimble.

'I'he ends of the rope may or may not be fastened together and if fastened together they may be spliced or otherwise secured.

In the form shown in Figures 6 and 7 the thimble is generally the same as that shown in the earlier gures except that itis provided with an open end so that it may be slipped over a ring, eye or other solid iitting, such as a weldless hook or closed socket. After the thimble has been tted over such a fitting it may be bent-as indicated alcng the'dotted lines of Figure 6 so that its lower end or pointis closed, and when so closed it may be welded at the point, but welding, if done, will be completed before the wire rope is placed about the thimble.

The thimble of Figures 6 and 7 comprises a body 8 having flanges 9 and lugs l0. A rope is laid about the thimble in the same manner illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 and the lugs are bent about the rope as engage it tightly.

Thus in both forms of the invention the rope is secured to the thimble and the rope and thimble generally similar toV Figt illustrated in those figures to place by being thus become in effect a unit without the necessity of the application of heat and without welding, brazing or forging of the thimble which would, by reason of the heat necessary, alect the wire rope detrimentally, and this formation of the rope and thimble together as a unit is notl limited to any particular means for fastening the rope ends together to make the eye about the-thimble nor in fact is it limited to fastening of the ends together at all. For some purposes it is advantageous to make a rope eye in which the ends are not fastened together in any manner but in which the rope is merely positioned about the thimble. Y 4

While the form of thimble illustrated inFigure 8 is generally the same as thatshown in the other iigures, it diiers in a number of details, mainly in that instead of having integral members 3, which are bent over the rope after it is in place about the thimble, these are omitted. Instead the sides 2 of the thimble I are grooved as at I! to receive the inturned'edges I2 of clips or cover plates I3. These cover plates may be of different-sizes or may all be of the same size. They are slipped in place engaging the grooves I I after the rope has been put in place about the sling and if desired they may be spot welded after assembly. They may be otherwise secured in riveted or otherwise deformed so that they retain their position in the grooves and are not thereafter displaced.

As shown the grooves Il are on the outside of the sides 2 `of the thimble I. They might, however, be on the inside of these sides and then the engaging edges I2 or similar cci-operating parts would be formed to engage with the grooves II. The invention is thus not limited to the specific positioning of the grooves I2 nor to the specific form of the members on the cover plates or clips whichengage with those grooves.

Figure 10 is generally similar to Figure 3, except that it shows the groove formed in the clip between the sides 2 as having a bottom. curved to conform to the shape of a rope which is to lie within it. It is primarily suitable for a single rope since it is rounded to conform to its shape.

Figure 1l shows the tongues 3 bent into shape to engage a rope. It will be noticed that in Figure 1l the tongues overlap slightly while in Figure 5, which shows a similar construction, they do not. Either arrangement may be used in the several forms of the device and the tongues may be bent over each other or may be given any other position in which they adequately engage the rope and prevent its separation from or displacement with respect to the thimble.

desired rope or ropes.

VYformed integrally with said flanges,

Figure 12 shows a form of the device substantially that shown in Figure 3 but in which a multiple part rope I4 is used. This type of rope may be conveniently used with a thimble having a relatively ilat bottomed groove'in-its exterior and as shown in Figure 12 the members 3 overlap slightly. While the several forms of the thimble are shown of such size as to receive one rope it is obvious'that more than one rope might be positioned about the thimble. For example, two ropes might lie side by side in place of the single rope 6 shown in Figure 5. If more than one rope is to be positioned about the thimble obviously the size of the thimblewill be made suitable to receive the YThe thimble may receive a rope eye or merely any other section or-part of rope'. Y

, It will be realized that whereas I have herewith shown and described a practical operative device,

`nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of theiinvention and I wish therefore that my showing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a rope thimble comprising a rigid thimble body, outwardly directed rigid flanges formed integrally therewith, and a plurality of outwardly directed, flexible lugs formed integrally with said `flanges, said lugs adapted to be bent over a rope which is to lie within the space bounded by said flanges, said thimbleV shaped with sides converging toward one end of the thimble, there being a section integrally joining said sides, adjacent the narrower end of said thimble, said section provided on its outer face with an outwardly directed projection rounded in the plane of the thimble as a whole.

2. As an article of manufacture, a rope thimble comprising a rigid thimble shoe, outwardly directed rigid flanges formed integrally therewith, and a plurality of outwardly directed, flexible lugs said lugs adapted to be bent over a rope which is to lie within the space bounded by said anges, said thimble shaped with sides converging toward one end of the thimble, there being a section integrally joining said sides, adjacent the narrower end of said thimble,'said section provided on its outward face with an outwardly directed projection, rounded in the plane of the thimble as a whole and on its inner edge with tapering converging portions.`

WM. C. RUSSELL. 

